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About the Team: Atlantic Soccer Factory (ASF) is proud to announce the creation of the Philadelphia Fever and their acceptance to the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Elite League. The Fever will join the league as an NCAA-compliant amateur team that features New Jersey and Pennsylvania's top collegiate players as well as former pros. The new WPSL Elite League now has (8) eight teams, including (6) full-time professional clubs, competing in the inaugural 2012 season.
The Fever will play some of its home games in South Jersey and some in Eastern Pennsylvania. Most games will be played as double-headers in conjunction with the A.C. Crusaders of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and Philadelphia Fury of U.S. Club Soccer's National Adult League (NAL). The new WPSL Elite League is the highest level of women's soccer in America. The league is based in the Midwest and East Coast and was formed as a response to the decision of WPS to suspend the 2012 season. Teams in the league have the option of competing with all professional players or a mix of professionals and amateurs.
Team Owner and ASF President, Matt Driver, is committed to developing homegrown talent and showcasing the area's best soccer players. As a result, the Fever will be built around local talent and will provide New Jersey and Pennsylvania's best collegiate players the opportunity to play in a professional atmosphere against international superstars who've played in World Cups and Olympic Games."This is a tremendous opportunity for local players to gain exposure and it gives them the chance to play at the highest level of women's professional soccer, without forfeiting their NCAA eligibility," said Driver. "The players that will play in this new WPSL Elite League are the same players millions of people watched during last year's World Cup and will represent their countries at the 2012 London Olympics."
Driver's philosophy of player progression led him to create a vertically integrated player development program that began years ago with the creation the A.C. Diablos men and women's teams in 2006. The men competed in the NPSL and the women's team belonged to the WPSL. Driver, who previously had three teams in the WPSL, inspires his players to aspire to reach their goals and maximize their potential.
The program is club-neutral and allows ASF to work with players from the time they're four years old all the way through college soccer and beyond. Currently, ASF provides local players the opportunity to play on a men's NPSL team, A.C. Crusaders, and now a Women's WPSL Elite League team, Philadelphia Fever without having to leave their local club or college.
"We get a hold of these kids as early as three or four year-olds in our rec programs and we put them through our vertically-integrated player development program," said Driver. "We develop relationships with clubs and their players and we help them maximize their potential as soccer players as well as provide them outlets to showcase their abilities and play the game at their highest ability."
About Atlantic Soccer Factory:
Atlantic Soccer Factory is a club-neutral company dedicated to training and educating the next generation of soccer players. It is the largest privately owned soccer education company in the Delaware Valley. With access to 40,000 youth soccer players through its multiple training platforms, Atlantic Soccer Factory, the Philadelphia Fever, AC Crusaders, and the Philadelphia Fury look to create a fully integrated soccer community. ASF has already arranged agreements with many clubs ASF currently works with to provide tickets and promotional opportunities to its youth teams. For more information please visit www.AtlanticSoccerFactory.com or email us at wpslphillyfever@atlanticsoccerfactory.com. About the Coaching: Seamus O'Connor just finished his second season as the Assistant Coach at Temple University. O'Connor, who serves as the recruiting coordinator for the program.
Before arriving to Temple in 2011, he served in multiple capacities in the soccer programs at Chestnut Hill College since 2007.
He first coached the men's team before acting as Director of Soccer and coaching both teams for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. In 2010 he chose to exclusively coach the women's program. In his second season coaching the women, O'Connor led the Griffins to their first postseason appearance as member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. He was recognized with the CACC Coach of the Year Award at season's end. In 2010 the team was ranked #8 in the NSCAA East Region and they qualified for a second postseason appearance in a row. Under O'Connor the Chestnut Hill College soccer programs has also flourished academically. The women's soccer team was recently recognized with the Chestnut Hill College Team Academic Achievement Award for posting the best collective GPA (2010-2011) and during O'Connor's era 16 Chestnut Hill College soccer players earned CACC All-Academic status. Away from collegiate soccer, O'Connor has established himself as a talented coach at the professional level. In 2010 he completed a stint as head coach of the Philadelphia Liberty, a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Prior to the Liberty he was also Head Coach of the CDSA Future and Assistant Coach of the AC Diablos, both members of the WPSL. In 2003, he led the Reading Rage of the United Soccer League/Premier Development League (USL/PDL) to an 8-8-2 record; the Rage's first .500 or better record in many seasons. At the youth level, O'Connor helped in the development of Philadelphia Soccer Club's Coppa United into a top 35 team nationally ranked team. Coppa United was an Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA) State Cup finalist, a Jefferson Cup champion, and appeared in the Dallas Cup, Surf Cup, and Super Y League National Finals in addition to playing the Chinese Under 17 Men's National Team to a 1-1 draw. Currently he coaches with the ACP club based out of Atlantic County, New Jersey. O'Connor graduated from Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland in 1997 where he was the starting goalkeeper for three seasons. While in college, he trained with League of Ireland clubs Athlone Town and Longford Town. His soccer education includes a Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Coaching License, FAI Goalkeeping License, National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National License, NSCAA Level 2 Goalkeeping License. Seamus, a native of Galway, Ireland, resides in Blackwood, New Jersey with his wife, Alexandra, son, Shay and daughter Annabridget.
Type of Players: Players who attend college locally and/or who are from the area.
Local Colleges: Rutgers, Villanova, St Joesph, La Salle, Drexel , Rider, Delaware, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia University, Rowan University, Stockton College
Player Tryouts: Please contact Seamus at seamus.oconnor@atlanticsoccerfactory.com |
